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It's been almost 20 years since Kate landed her breakthrough role in 1995's Sense and Sensibility, and next year will mark her 40th birthday.

Busy: The 38-year-old admits that she find it tough to find balance, but refuses to complain

Close pals: Kate also reveals that her Titanic co-star and longtime pal Leonardo DiCaprio has snubbed her suggestion of a joint birthday party to celebrate them turning 40 within a year of each other

The milestone is especially poignant as Leonard DiCaprio - the man she shot to international fame with in 1997's Titanic - will celebrate turning the big 4-0 almost exactly 12 months before her.

However, despite their lasting friendship, the actress admits that her playboy pal had no interest in sharing a joint bash with her.

She adds: 'He's 40 this year and I'm 40 next – that's weird. Isn't that weird?

'He wouldn’t have a joint party with me, he really wouldn't. Definitely not. He likes to have his moments… but also I don't think I'd want to have a joint party with him, more to the b**ody point!'

Explaining why they have remained such firm friends in such a fickle town as Hollywood, Kate tells the magazine: 'I think the reason that friendship works is because there was never any romantic thing.

'It's so disappointing for people to hear that, because in the soap opera of the Kate and Leo story we fell in love at first sight and had a million snogs, but actually we never did.

'He always saw me as one of the boys; I've never really been a girly-girl.

'We needed each other to lean on because we were very young and working all kinds of crazy bloody hours and it was a shock to the system.'

To read the feature in full, see the November issue of Marie Claire, out today.

Also available as digital edition through Apple Newsstand ­must be included.